I'm currently in a fellowship in my master's program. The fellowship is pretty specific (as it usually is) and in a field I knew nothing about but wanted to learn more of/also thought could help me serve a wider population in my career. Now coming up on graduation, I want to apply to another fellowship that could lead to a full-time job in my dream organization. I'm afraid because the two fellowships aren't related at all, the employers will wonder why I'm applying. [more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Oct 23, 2015 -
4 answers

So I screwed up undergrad, pretty much eliminating the possibility of an academic career for myself, and got engaged to a guy who is in the most academic of careers. I'm envious and embarrassed about my lack of career path compared to his glittering academic future, and my current job is really not long-term sustainable. Hopeless, miserable, and alternating between feeling bitterly envious and then tortured by guilt for being such an unfair jerk, I'm being a bad partner, and I really don't know how to navigate all this. [more inside]
posted by bugperson
on Oct 2, 2015 -
63 answers

I am going to defend my Ph.D. in a few months. That means I really need to be applying for jobs. But I haven't touched my C.V. in months--years, probably--because every time I think about it I get overwhelmed by waves of anxiety and despair and impostor syndrome. How do I get past that and update the damn thing so I can start sending it out? [more inside]
posted by cortisol
on Oct 30, 2014 -
11 answers

My partner is finishing a PhD in a social science next year and is unsure about staying in academia. Have any MeFites been in a similar position? [more inside]
posted by AceRock
on Apr 6, 2014 -
11 answers

After graduating into the recession in 2009 with a B.A. in neuroscience and English I spent the first couple of years of my post-college life just trying to get by rather than focusing on “What I Want To Do With My Life” or pursuing grad school or a career. Now that I’ve had a few years of job stability and the economic freedom to do something different, what should I start doing with my life? [more inside]
posted by forkisbetter
on Jul 29, 2013 -
7 answers

This one might be a doozy. So, I'm a 23 year old recent college grad ( this May) with a B.A. in psychology and no idea what to do with my life. ( Original, I know, but bear with me, it gets better.) Everyone around me seems to have what are at least well-outlined 5 year plans, oriented around either grad school or a great entry level job. Certain circumstances in my life though seem to leave me with a vision of the future that doesn't extend far beyond the living room couch and daytime TV for the next 10 years and that frightens me to no end. [more inside]
posted by marsbar77
on Jul 6, 2013 -
35 answers

My supervisor/thesis advisor has dropped off the face of the earth as I'm applying for jobs, so I can't count on him as a reference. How bad does this look, should I explain it in writing somewhere, and how? [more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Sep 20, 2012 -
12 answers

I have a big, messy question about anxiety, student debt, grad school, loneliness, and employment. Here’s the crux of it: Should I go back to my PhD next year? If not, what should my plan for the next few months be? [more inside]
posted by The Art of Sockpuppetry
on Jun 17, 2012 -
17 answers

I am currently a student in a graduate program. A very close friend, who is in the same program, has begun sending me essays for school and correspondence related to her job search to proofread. In doing so, I have noticed a pattern: her writing is full of truly awful, egregious run-on sentences. Nearly every sentence is a run-on. My friend is very smart and accomplished, and I'm not quite sure how she's come this far without this issue being brought to her attention. She has been experiencing disappointment in her grades and career search, and I suspect that this problem may be contributing to the situation. (We are in a highly competitive and nitpicky field.) I think that as a friend, I have a responsibility to bring this to her attention, but I have no idea how in the world to do so in a way that's sensitive and doesn't make her feel bad or damage the friendship. Do I need to tell my friend? If yes, how do I bring it up?
posted by anonymous
on Mar 21, 2011 -
28 answers

As a general proposition, law school is a losing investment. But I’m a specific proposition. Should I go to law school? Lengthly, probably annoying specifics inside. [more inside]
posted by alleycat01
on Feb 2, 2011 -
47 answers

Information about leaving grad school and getting a job in a different field. Help me figure out how to get my foot in the door. Long background and question follows. [more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Dec 28, 2010 -
3 answers

I'm thirty years old, and it's my first semester of grad school after working in the corporate world for 8 years. It just kind of hit me that I'm going to have a summer vacation for the first time in forever. Whoa, awesome, but what to do with myself? Also, how to fund it? [more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Oct 22, 2010 -
13 answers

Am I over-thinking this, or will attending grad school at a CSU (California State University) hinder further career goals? Help me eliminate one more thing from my grad-application-frazzled mind! [more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Mar 31, 2010 -
8 answers

Starting fall 2010, I'll be going to grad school (Master's) in a pretty esoteric field (studying texts from late antiquity, written in an obscure language). If I decide not to go on to the PhD, what can I do now and during my Master's to maximize my job opportunities when I get out? Are there any skills you would really strongly recommend that I pick up? [more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Nov 29, 2009 -
13 answers

I'm planning on leaving my high-pressure hard science PhD program for something that won't make me hate life quite so much. The problem is that I really don't want to go back to biotech/pharma industry, especially without a PhD, unless totally necessary to support my family. So what am I good for? [more inside]
posted by anonymous
on Sep 17, 2008 -
10 answers

I just got accepted into a graduate school program in Manhattan, which is great, but I'm going to need A LOT of money.
I have one summer to earn money before going back to school.
Where/how/what do I do to earn big bucks this summer? [more inside]
posted by geryon
on Mar 1, 2005 -
14 answers

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